As part of its 150th anniversary celebration, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center commissioned a prequel to "There Goes a Mermaid - A Norfolktale" written by Lisa Suhay. "Many people don't know that DePaul was founded in response to the yellow fever epidemic," Richard Hopkins, Director of Foundation Relations and Advancement for the Bon Secours DePaul Health Foundation states. "This book gives us an opportunity to tell the history of our hospital's mission, as well as the history of the city we serve."
 
"The Mermaids and Yellow Jack. A Norfolktale," tells the story of how the tears of a child in a city stricken with yellow fever summon a mermaid named Cara and her sisters to help fight the illness sailors of that day and age nicknamed "Yellow Jack." This gentle fable blends history with mermaid magic while also telling of how Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center in Norfolk, Virginia, was founded. It also explains why the city today holds a love of both mermaids and yellow flowers.
 
The new book, "The Mermaids and Yellow Jack. A Norfolktale," is now available for presale purchase online for $7.95. The author will sign all presold books.Proceeds will benefit the ongoing enhancements of patient care services at Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center.